A Dim Witted Genius
by Sinead Rivka
Summary: AU of "A Supremely Bright Idea." Mainly fluff & filler while I tried to get inspiration to continue writing about Tony & Becka ... then Iron Man 2 came out and kicked butt. This is a kinda "what-if" that really is a bit lackluster.
1. Chapter 1

A Dim-Witted Form Of Genius  
By Sinead

Chapter One

.o.

_Yinsen broke apart their playful bickering with tea, his hand resting on Rebeckah's shoulder, smiling his tender smile that spoke volumes to the young woman as she leaned into his touch. His touch reassured her, brought her comfort. She watched as Yinsen finally insisted that Tony take a turn on the cot and rest. Two minutes later, Tony was asleep. It gave Becka the chance to talk with Yinsen alone again. Because of Tony's crazy work ethic when he got rolling, he slept infrequently, and not for very long._

_ "I want to talk with you about religion."_

_ Looking up at him as she sipped her tea again, she smiled, and they moved to sit close to the fire. "What did you want to talk about?"_

_ "You are one of those American Christians." He used that as a statement, not as a question, and the connotations behind that was slightly negative, but not judging._

_ "I'm doing my best to not be one of the typical American Christians. They're depicted as greedy, hypocritical, and thoroughly bogus. It's a front that many people hide behind to try to justify their behavior, decisions and say 'I'm in progress, so you _have_ to deal with me.' I want to live right by God, Yinsen, not by my culture's standards." She looked into the fire, contemplating her situation and life so far._

_ "You remind me very much like my wife."_

_ Looking up at the older man, the woman who was the age of one of his children stated, "You tell Tony that she's out there, but I can see what he can't. I can see how your eyes go dark and tired when your family is mentioned." She looked directly into his gaze, not diverted by his glasses, his shield. The young woman leaned in closer. "Where is your wife, Yinsen?"_

_ He didn't answer for a long moment, but didn't break the gaze they shared. He knew that she was a counselor by her very wiring, yet that wiring warred with her administrative talents. She was wise and mature beyond her twenty-two years. He knew that if she and Tony did not end up together for all of time, she would become a close confidant to the man, one who would be a sister to him and the woman he would eventually settle with. She would tell him the truth without sparing his emotions. She would be real._

_ So he would likewise be real with her._

_ "She is waiting for me," he murmured. "I am waiting to join by her side."_

_ And he didn't need to say anything more, but his hand soon was held within the young woman's while she comforted her elder, a father to her in this dark place._

.o.

She awoke from her nap, disoriented, feeling a hand in hers. "Yinsen?"

A soft sigh met her ears, causing Rebeckah to look up just as Tony whispered, "No, love." He squeezed her hands once, then stroked her palm with his thumb, tracing lines over the top of her hand with his fingers while she slowly gathered her mind together from the unexpected deep sleep. When he saw her eyes focus on him, he murmured, "I would have loved for him to have been here for this time. Even if your pastor's angry with me."

Chuckling softly, she murmured, "We never set a date."

"Which annoys me."

"I know."

"I lead a double life as it is . . . somehow, I don't think that religion is going to help that any." Tony shifted slightly to ease the pain from his back, earning him a glare from his beloved. "Yes, there was an emergency, and no, I wasn't about to wake you up. You haven't been sleeping well and it's cute to see you napping."

"Are you hurt?"

"Bruised. But okay otherwise."

He wasn't prepared for her tackle, or that she pinned him and sat on his butt while pulling the back of his shirt up to see the bruises and none-too-few scratches.

"You know, what you did there is really kinda hot . . ."

"I don't wanna hear it." She grabbed his wrist, standing and half-dragging him from the couch, leading him to the main bathroom and pointing to his shirt. "Off."

He began to strip-tease, but that only got him a light jab to his gut. Wincing, he finished pulling the shirt off and turned his back to his fiancé, feeling her cool hands resting lightly on the bruises, not hurting him even with that touch. She had him turn so that there was a particular angle that the light hit his back from, and she nodded. Tony was able to watch her in the mirror, seeing the concentration on her face and the light frown on her beautiful forehead. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" came her absent reply as she turned towards the cabinet and pulled together the materials she needed, placing them on the sink counter as she found them. Rolling her sleeves up, she pulled on medical gloves and turned to prep something liquid. Tony didn't like the look of the clear liquid _at all_.

Clear stuff stung.

"You aren't turned on. You aren't even halfway seeming to care."

Her hands stilled as she thought about that statement, then continued to clean the shallow wounds on his back. Her voice was soft, tender and filled with all the love in her heart for her man. "I've learned how to ignore hormonal impulses in order to care for someone."

"That doesn't make any sense," he muttered grouchily.

He didn't understand why she chuckled softly, but there was no lack of love in the voice she held for him. "I love you so much more than how my body's reactions dictate me to love you." Pausing, she walked around him to look up at his dark eyes, darker with frustration while hers were bright with love. "Pepper and I have to be the two women on the face of the earth that can resist your physical charms. Tony, your body isn't a draw for me. Your heart, your mind? Those are what draw me to you. That is what Yinsen saw in you, and began to cultivate within you. Your body _is_ a great bonus, but it's not the main draw." She leaned up to rest her nose to his, smiling, then moved back to finish cleaning the scrapes.

Tony grinned like an idiot, euphoric about her love for him.

.o.

"I don't feel that this is the right path for you," the board member said stiffly, standing to address the still-sitting CEO. "This choice is going to bring the downfall to the entire company!"

Tony cocked an eyebrow, his hands folded upon the table. "Okay, so my marriage is going to pretty much end the world. Seriously, please enlighten me about this."

"She has no background in the upper echelon of society! Furthermore, she's from the East Coast. _Nothing_ good comes from Boston!"

The heated comment was met with quiet but equally-heated murmurs among the other board members. Most of them had settled in and around New York City, meaning that while there was friendly competition between the two cities regarding sports teams, there was also respect and appreciation of what the other city had to offer.

"So then who would you rather me marry?" Tony asked calmly, twitching his hand to signal Pepper. She, as usual, was taking notes beside him, doing her job as personal assistant and secretary. That twitch meant that she should start looking into this man's background, dig a bit, and see if there was a way that he could be retired soon. She'd have help with it, of course.

The man seemed thrown off that Tony was calm about it. Those who supported his view were also looking shocked. Those who sided with Tony about his marrying Becka were watching him closely. They were the ones who understood the man better than the other half of the board table. "Well . . . Pepper."

They both froze, looked to each other, and scooted an inch farther away from each other. Tony shook his head. "She already mothers me. I don't need to be smothered. Besides. Happy is courting her, and he'd win in a fair fight."

A few of the younger men on the board snickered. They knew Happy. Pepper also piped up. "Not to mention that dating my boss is a bad idea. _Anyone_ dating their boss is a bad idea. That's not my argument, mind you. My stance on not allowing him to court me stems from the fact that our personalities are completely incompatible."

"Good point," Tony muttered, not looking at Pepper. "Besides. I don't see why Becka would cause Stark Industries to spiral down the tubes. If anything, the way she thinks would save us money, help up along the line to become more green and eco-friendly, and probably result in better working relationships among the staff. She's got a lot of innovative ideas on the aforementioned topics, which has opened my mind to possibly using her suggestions." He shrugged, seeing that there were a few non-supporters of his marriage now seeming to listen to his corporate reasoning behind his marriage. "Granted, none of that is why I'm marrying her. She's a vixen and I can't wait to spend my life with her."

"Oh, God, Tony, don't tell bedroom stories during business hours," one of the men laughed, shaking his head. "You're insufferable."

Grinning, he sat back. "If you want to talk to her about her background, then it can be arranged. Contact Pepper and we'll see what schedule can be arra—"

"Tony."

He looked to Pepper sharply, and she thumbed towards the phone behind her, staring at her Blackberry, rereading the note that flashed upon its minute screen. "Call for you."

Cursing, he swung out of his chair to pick it up. "Hello?"

"It's Fury. We have a situation. Come to HQ for a briefing."

Dropping the receiver back onto the cradle, he strode out of his board meeting. "Sorry, emergency! We'll finish this discussion later! Pep! Get Happy, pick up Becka, order pizza, and you know the rest! Ask her if she'll be willing to talk to some of our board members about what's been discussed today!" The door closed on his last words.

She sighed. "Well. We all know what he's up to. I've got notes to pick up on for our next meeting. Thank you for coming, gentlemen." She strode out after Tony, calling Happy up the moment she was out the door.

.o.

They heard the crash over the squealing-tire car-chase scene of the newest Michael Bay movie that had hit theaters that day, able to pay a premium to watch it in the Stark residence. Without stopping the movie, all three scrambled off of the couch and darted down into the basement. Tony was laying on another wreck. Pepper sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Great. That's going to be fun to replace."

But Becka's sharp eyes caught the dim glow of the Arc reactor. She _cursed_. "Jarvis! Get that armor off of him!" She darted over to trigger the emergency releases around his helmet, tossing it to one side and sweeping his sweaty hair out of his face, cradling his cheeks within her cool hands. He cracked one eye open, then hissed as the mechanical arms began to lift him, pulling the armor off of him. Rebeckah moved with the arms, and Happy moved closer to catch Tony. Once she had seen his face and seen that there was something wrong, Pepper called the SHIELD doctor, requesting him to be there five minutes ago. They knew how bad it was by Tony not biting back his groans and hisses of pain. Becka rested her hand over his chest, then blinked in shock. "Oh, _hell_! The reactor's loose!"

"I am _not_ putting my hand in there again!" Pepper snapped.

"My hands are tinier than yours," came Becka's swift reply. "Jarvis, scan him. What's the damage to the arc reactor?"

Tony winced as he was gently released, feeling Happy pick him up easily and bring him to the chair he had used to replace the Mark 1 Arc Reactor in the first place. He couldn't even talk, and that got Jarvis to report faster. "There is a very loose connection between the Arc reactor and the magnet that suspends the shrapnel within his chest. In all actuality, it's almost an easy fix."

"Define easy!" Becka snapped, grabbing a bottle of Purell and dousing her hand with it, ignoring how it stung the cracked skin over her knuckles. Her hands always dried out during odd times of the year, and this was one of them. She walked over as Pepper cut away the neoprene suit that was already ruined.

"A wire needs to be replaced."

"Manufacture that wire. Is it easy for me to replace?"

"No."

There was a crash. Pepper stalked over with the Mark 1 generator in her hands, pulling it free of the decorative casing that it had gone back into after Tony designed the Mark 3 reactor. "Just pop this in, we'll fix that one later."

"I love your quick thinking," Happy said softly.

"Guys, focus on your dying boss," came the soft snark from Tony. He wheezed, wincing.

Becka unscrewed the Arc reactor the rest of the way, then pushed her hand into the small cavity, following the wire down, careful not to touch the exposed part. Yanking the plug free, she pulled the arc reactor out and tossed it to Happy without looking. Grabbing the copper wire, pulling it free and placing it in the right position, she glanced up at Tony's face, making sure that he was still with them. Her hand darted out, grabbed the Mark 1, and she looked back down as she replaced it, plugging it in and feeling it click right back into place. His breathing began to even out, his heart-rate slowing to a normal pace.

Her hand twisted the Mark 1 into the "locked" position, feeling it click. Sighing, wiping her hand off of the goo that resided at the bottom of the arc reactor housing, she looked up at Tony's face again. The grey was starting to leave his cheeks, but he was still pale and sweaty. Leaning over to catch his gaze with hers, she pushed his hair back off of his forehead again. Seeing him swallow and open his mouth, she shook her head, resting a finger against his amazing lips. "Talk later. Let's get you cleaned up."

He nodded, and she pulled her hand away.

"The doctor is here," Jarvis announced.

Tony let his head fall back with a soft groan. He hated doctors.


	2. Chapter 2

A Dim-Witted Form Of Genius  
By Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ I'm sorry that this took so long, but a writer's block that broadsided me and I have had the unique experience of falling in love with the man I do believe I'll walk beside for the rest of our lives. I now have two copies of Iron Man (one will be regifted to a friend who's nicknamed my man Stark . . . more on that at a note at the bottom), and over the last year the plot came into focus. I hope to write the chapters quickly from here on out. Thank you for your patience! (Read the note at the bottom! Promise you that it's worth it!)_

Chapter Two

.o.

"Are you sure that you, uh, want to do that?" Pepper asked Becka softly. Tony was asleep. He had been lightly sedated as a side-effect of one of the painkillers that he had been given. Considering how much he detested doctors after he had been held captive in Afghanistan, it was a blessing that he passed out before any examinations and resulting patching-up took place.

Rolling her eyes, knowing that Tony would have a fit and stress himself out if he woke up feeling and looking like crap, the younger woman replied, "It's not like I haven't seen him naked before, Pep."

"That's not what I meant. Are you sure that you want to really give him a sponge bath."

"Do _you_ want to?"

"No."

"Do you think that _Happy_ wants to?"

Pepper winced.

"I'll go sponge him down, now." Turning, she went into the bathroom, grabbing a facecloth, very gentle and diluted soap, and a mug of water. When she returned to the bedroom, she saw that Pepper Potts was already gone, leaving them alone. It's not like he was wearing anything under those sheets anyway. And the doctor, who was female, wasn't fazed or deterred by the billionaire's physique, either.

Placing the items by the bedside, she carefully moved around the IVs and began to wash his face and neck. They weren't even married, and already she was caring for him in both sickness and health. Smiling, getting lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice him wake up and watch her. She carefully washed around the reactor, frowning at the bruising around the metal "cup" that rested within his chest. Her hand traced it before she sighed and continued to wash off his other shoulder and arm.

Once she was about to flip the sheets back up over his torso, she glanced up at his face, and then blushed.

He lifted one arm to touch her cheek. "Love you."

"I hate that you're hurt," Rebeckah whispered.

"C'mere."

Kicking her shoes off, she rested beside him, crying against his shoulder, feeling his weak grip just rest around her torso, his fingers stroking over her back in small motions. He comforted his fiancé until both fell asleep. Having watched Becka care for Tony through a cracked door, Pepper once again wondered where her place was going to be in the grand scheme of things once they married.

Closing the door, she murmured, "Jarvis, increase heat by seven degrees in Tony's room, and keep the humidity up to just under noticeable levels but high enough to keep moisture in the air." Continuing, not even pausing to hear an acknowledgement, Pepper walked to the spare bedroom, where Happy was waiting for her. She walked into his arms, rested her head against his broad chest, and didn't tell him why she really was feeling ready to cry.

.o.

"What was the mission?" Becka was rewrapping one of the bandages around Tony's upper arm. One bullet had managed to graze his skin. The rest of what he suffered through were bruises and an aching chest.

Wincing at one of his bruised ribs, Tony stilled her hands, pulling one away from tying the gauze to hold it against his cheek, half-closing his eyes and turning his head towards her palm to breathe in her smell, to feel her warm skin against his lips. He didn't feel like releasing her hand, so he spoke against it. "Infiltrate a terrorist camp . . . take out any hostiles . . . mmm . . . secure or destroy all US-built weaponry."

Tony didn't expect the hand to shift, and he opened his eyes as he felt the bandage slip away from the wound on his arm. Focusing his eyes, he saw Becka leaning in and kissing him softly, her hair falling around his face, curtaining them off from the world. Tony closed his eyes, letting her kiss him, letting her take control and decide where to take this kiss.

His arm went up so that he could cup her face, hold her head. And she slowly broke the kiss. Her voice halted over the syllables. "I . . . really . . . hate . . . having to wait . . . to show you how glad I am that you're alive."

Cursing, Tony whispered, "Same here. But we both promised not to cheat."

"I know." They stared at each other for a long moment. Tony growled, "Get back down here and let _me_ kiss _you_. Now."

And he didn't disappoint her when she complied.

.o.

"Pep!" Tony walked up from the basement, looking around. "Hey, Pepper?" Opening the door to the office he had furnished for her usage while they were at his house, he blinked, closed the door, and turned around, calling over his shoulder, "Sorry!"

Stalking back down into the basement, he saw Becka hike the waistband of her jeans up again, grumbling about losing weight. With a smile, he called out, "See, most people out here _like_ to lose weight."

"Uh-huh. Considering that I've already lost so much thanks to the high-energy life I now live, I know that if I lose much more, I'll be underweight and that's never good. Speaking of not-good things, I don't hear Pepper's stilettos stalking after you." Turning, Becka leaned against the car she was helping Tony rebuild, learning mechanics from him as they went. "And I don't see her. You didn't tell her that she's got that vacation coming up?" Seeing Tony blush, she blinked, then asked quietly, "Why are you blushing?"

"I caught them pretty much, uh, well . . . I think I broke their mood."

"You're blushing about walking in on a couple having sex. Wow. I'm really rubbing off on you, aren't I?"

"It's _Pepper and Happy_, for crying out loud!" He walked closer and shoved his hands back into the engine. "And I don't even know if they noticed me!"

Snorting, laughing, the woman leaned against Tony's side, resting her chin on his moving shoulder, watching his hands as he worked. Slowly, slowly, she felt the tension bleed out of him. And she smiled. "That's better. She's walked in on you, too, hasn't she?"

"More times than I care to count. But it's different."

"Not saying that you should walk in on them again, but seriously. Your one infraction versus her many?"

"Yeah. Okay."

Silence.

Then both chuckled and Tony leaned his head over to rest it against hers, pausing all movement. "Would you be okay if she walked in on us? You know. Once we're married and all that fun ceremonial stuff."

"I think I would be embarrassed, but I'd be forgiving about it. It would usually be only on an emergency basis, after all." Sighing against Tony's shirt, she looked at him from their odd angle. "And admit it, you're having fun planning our wedding with me."

"I am," he murmured, smiling. "I love parties. When can we throw our first big anniversary party?"

"Five years sounds good to have a nice public bash. Let's do a charity ball, dinner, or something." Nosing at his shoulder, she smiled at her man.

He smiled back, and they heard the tell-tale clicks of Pepper's heels coming down the stairs. "I think she's angry."

"I think so, too."

"Who should handle this?"

"You. And say sorry _very_ nicely. Humble. Your ego is worthless in the face of a pissed woman."

"Tell me something that I _don't_ know."

He straightened with a serious look on his face, walking over to Pepper. She shoved a paper at his chest and spun on her heel. Catching the sheet with a frown, he read the first few words, then burst into a sprint after his PA. "Pep! You don't mean this!"

"I do, Mister Stark, and I plan to put this into effect immediately. Happy is packing my things."

Becka's voice drifted over. "Happy is . . . Wait! Pepper!" Faster than Tony, she ran and darted in front of the personal assistant, blocking her way out. "Are you resigning?"

The cold glare that she received was shocking but expected as Virginia Potts tried to get around the smaller woman to open the door. But Becka was having none of it. "Hey, hold up! _Why_ are you resigning?!"

"Lack of respect and the obvious reason that with you here, I will no longer be needed." Pepper crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the pair. "You two are a perfect match, congratulations."

"Wait. What?" Tony blinked, then shook his head. "Pepper, I'm sorry that I walked in on you and Hogan. Really. I didn't mean to. I was going to ask you for the schedule for this coming month, and that was it. Your door was unlocked, so I figured, just like any other time that it's unlocked, that it's okay to enter. I'm really, really sorry." He winced. "If it makes you feel any better at all about it, I saw absolutely nothing."

Pepper stalled, but still didn't say anything.

"Why do you feel that you won't be needed?" came Becka's soft question.

It took a long moment before Pepper finally replied. "Because you two are able to work as a better team, and won't need me for anything."

They just stared at her for a breathless moment. Tony opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Pep, you're my PA and I can't do anything organized without you. Becka's gonna be my wife. That's two _totally_ different job descriptions. I will always need you, Pepper. You're like the big sister who knows better than I do about everything public relations and appearance and whatever. I can't do this without you."

"I'm gonna need you as much as he does," came the softer voice of the younger woman. She looked up at the immaculate woman. "You're the best in your field. I know only the basics of being a secretary or administrative assistant. I know _nothing_ about what you do all day long. I don't think that I can handle the responsibilities that you don't even notice you have." Her voice lowered. "Please don't leave, Pepper. Tony might need you as his PA and as a good friend, but as someone who really has no idea how to live in a celebrity setting, I need you to teach me and to help me, too."

Happy came down the stairs. "Yeah, I kinda like my job, Pep. I told you that Tony didn't mean it on purpose, hun."  
"Please don't leave," Tony whispered softly.

Sighing, Pepper held her hand out for the sheet of paper. Once it was back in her hand, she held it up. "This is standing until I see reason to not put you on probation for any longer. One more chance."

"I'll do everything in my power not to screw it up," Tony promised solemnly, dark chocolate eyes even darker with emotion and with seriousness.

"See to it that you don't." She stalked towards the stairs.

"Oh, Pep?" Tony called after her, picking up an envelope and following her. "I just printed this out. It's for you." Once he handed it to her, he turned and walked back to the car, his hand reaching out to half-drag Becka with him, entwining his hand with hers.

They hadn't even gotten four steps before Pepper shrieked, "You're sending me to the _Bahamas_ for a week?!"

"A vacation for two," Tony said, smiling. "Becka and I are going to Boston that week, and we're not going to do anything stupid, promise. But I would love it if you and Happy took that week off and relaxed."

"Tony!"

"That's what I came up to tell you," he said with a smile, turning. "You have a week to pack. I have a tentative schedule set for your vacation, and Becka helped, and you get a lot of spa and beach time." Still smiling, Tony looked to Happy, who was actually smiling. "And I booked the best suite in the resort for you two. I couldn't do _anything_ without either of you. Thank you."

He watched Pepper walk over before having the pleasure of feeling her hand make sharp contact with his face before she stalked off. Happy waited for the door to close, but he couldn't hold in the shaking of his shoulders in silent laughter.

Becka looked at the red mark on Tony's face. He grinned. "She said thank you."

That's all it took for Happy to burst into laughter, turning to follow his lady up the stairs.

.o.

_**Closing Note:**__ So yes, it's true. The authoress has fallen in love! And it's taking up most of my time and my life. Things haven't been a smooth road, but a relationship shouldn't be about how fast you can sprint to the goal like in a track meet; it's about the cross-country pacing that will get you there maybe a little slower, but nevertheless, you'll get yourself to the goal._

_Meeting this man was hilarious. It was a blind date set up by our respective best friends. I wasn't nervous about it at all . . . until she pulled onto the street of her fiance's house and said, "You know, he looks like that actor from that movie you love . . . Iron-something."_

_I was silent for all of a second before asking skeptically, "You're saying that he looks like Tony Stark from Iron Man?"_

"_Yeah! That's him! I'm totally not lying, either."_

_Doubting it, I frowned and shook my head, but was suddenly nervous. I told her as such, but she didn't really let me nervous for long._

"_He's super-intelligent, and a really nice guy. I think that you two will really get along, you know?" Rachel pulled into the driveway. "Oh, looks like they already took off to pick up the Chinese food. Okay. Good thing. Want to pray?"_

_Yes, yes I did. We were just about to close the prayer, my peace restored, when something hit ,my friend's window, causing us both to shriek. I darted out of the car to round it in a few swift paces and hit her fiance's arm in irritation._

_Yeah. The first thing that he saw was me belting his best friend's shoulder, who was laughing and darting back to the Suburban so that they could go pick up the food. I didn't get anything of a good look of the man, but didn't let that unnerve me. Rae and I walked into her man's family's house, and we settled our things and talked about how crazy men got around women they loved._

_We heard the front door open, and I was __**nervous**__. I didn't know what he was like, didn't know what he'd think. Aaron came in with the food, set it on the table, and went to greet his love. I had my eyes on the doorway waiting to see who his friend was. And I was shocked._

_She was right._

_Oh. My. Sweet. God._

_He wasn't much taller than me, probably five-seven, and had an open but semi-nervous look around his bluish, jade greenish eyes. I was taken aback by the fact that he stood confidently, yet had an air of uncertainty around him. I was sure that I looked the same way. We greeted each other, shaking hands over the island in the kitchen. He was wearing a pinstripe collared shirt with jeans. I didn't bother looking at his shoes. I had just come from work, and since the area I was working in was celebrating St Patrick's day on the weekend, I was dressed up a little, wearing a green and brown setup, with my hair spiked moderately and makeup done up._

_I knew that just as I was sizing him up, he was sizing me up. It wasn't altogether a bad feeling, but it was cut short by Aaron laying the food out for us to pick and choose from. The men insisted that ladies go first._

_There was more to that night, which would take too long to write out like this. Needless to say, there was a lot of laughter, flirting, and technology-envy. (He has a drool-worthy gamer's laptop, and at the time, I had a tablet PC. We were both envious of what the other had.) As time progressed and friends saw movies and then pictures of the man who soon became my TJ, one of them openly said, "So since he looks like Stark, I'm gonna just call him that from now on." It caught on quickly._

"_But what really kinda wierds me out," my friend, Celeste, continued on to say, "is that he even acts like the Stark that you write. What did you do, write out your dream man and then have God create him on the spot?"_

_Well, if that were true, then Stark would have been part of a marching band and would play the alto sax beautifully. But we all know that's not the case._

_Oh. And at the time, Celeste had reddish-brown hair. We've playfully called her Pepper. But this would be a Pepper who has found her older brother in Stark over a year after she found a sister in the author herself._

_Which has lead to trouble . . . and will always lead to trouble. Love you, you crazy blonde!_

_And baby, I love you. Thank you for reading my stories and joining me in my obsessions. LOL!_


	3. Chapter 3

A Dim-Witted Form of Genius  
By Sinead

_**Author's Note:**__ This is partially filler, but it also is for setting the stage for the next story arc._

Chapter Three

.o.

The two men were having their face-off. It wasn't something that Rebeckah was present for, thankfully. It was just something between them. There was silence as they watched each other over the desk.

"Look, I know that you don't like me. We don't have to beat around the bush on that one at all," Tony said softly, hands folded in his lap as he leaned forward and continued. "I know that you're the father-figure of my fiancé, and I know that you want her to make the right choices. Trust me, I do too. I don't want her to be with me just because of what we've been through; _I_ want to be with _her_ because I know that she's the only one on the face of this earth who can not just show me how to be a better person, but to really help me through the steps. Not to mention that she's the only woman who can understand me all the way to the bottom of my soul, _and still want to be with me_. And won't mind telling me off, since she's not fazed by my money or status."  
"So she's a tool for you."

It was going to be a tough meeting.  
Tony drew in a deep breath. "I never meant to imply it like that. She makes me want to be a better man, and when I express that, she helps me with that."

"So then how can you help her be a better woman?" The pastor of Rebeckah's home church leaned his elbows upon his desk, watching the iconic man with a keen eye.

Tony looked down at his hands as his mind raced for an answer. There was a moment where he didn't think that he could find one of those answers, but it came to him in the strangest manner. Most of the times that Anthony Stark had a flash of intuition, it would indeed come in a flash, a flare across his mind that brought all of his attention to the answer of whatever it was that was answering his predicament. Such as the ARC implant in his chest, and the basic design for the Mark-Two Iron Man armor.

This answer came to him in a slow burn that lanced its way over his brain. He knew that it was a different answer than all the others that he had given in any situation throughout _all_ of his life up to his abduction in Afghanistan.

"By providing for her, and not just financially, which is expected and will be a met expectation. But to provide any education, any answer, anything that she needs." He drew in a deep breath. "But that's just the warm-up answer. I already do this, and I have been since I met her. I don't dare limit her freedom, which is such an integral part of who Becka is. I don't limit anything that she has to offer."

There was another long silence.

"I wasn't asking what you can do for her, Tony."

That caught the younger man off-guard. "But . . ."

"How can you help her become a better woman?"

There it was. A flash of intuition. Maybe the other kind of answers weren't all that reliable after all. "Is this a merry-go-round kinda answer?" He saw the smile begin in the Pastor's eyes, and he let the grin free. "So it's by me improving myself to be a better man for her, to be a leader and a good head of household for her, that's how she becomes a better woman in turn?"

"Very, very close, so I'll give it to you."

"Phew!"

"You read that book I handed to you last time that you came up here?"

"Yeah, even though most of it doesn't make sense." Tony sat back, letting his hands fall free from each other as he stretched his back.

"But you read it."

"Yeah."

"And the chapter on the roles of husband and wife?"

"Odd, but I can see how they'd work in a lot of cases, and I can see why some married couples on the West Coast who are in my sphere of influence are miserable within months of their marriage and are cheating on each other within a year." Rubbing his knuckles, he saw the gaze of the minister sharpen. _Oh crap, here it comes._

"And your stance on women hasn't been the most outstanding or commendable of models."

So Tony got firm and angry in reply to the thinly-veiled accusation. "I would _never_ cheat on Beckers, no matter what. I don't care what anyone has said about our relationship, it has always been just her and me. I know she was raised better than to cheat on me, and I know that I've learned that she's not someone to be insulted by me looking for a physical relationship with another woman because I can't get it from her yet. I am thoroughly repulsed by the media's claims that we've been unfaithful to each other, and I'm beginning to get really annoyed that you might actually be _believing_ those lies!"

"I don't, actually." The calm tone actually got Tony to stop mid-rant and settle back in shock. "I just wanted to see your true reaction to that statement, and I'm pretty sure that I just got it."

After another silence, Tony huffed a single chuckle and let one of his lips quirk up in a small grin. "You're sadistic in your counseling tactics."

"Hey, it's all about helping you two know yourselves better before going into marriage and having to now get to know each other along with still learning about yourselves."

"Get the brunt of it all done, huh?"

"That's right."

There was a knock on the door, and the pastor's wife opened it. "All right?"

"Come on in," Pastor David said, laughing softly and motioning for his wife to enter. Rebeckah was in that other woman's wake, and she took a seat in the chair beside Tony's. He reached over and tugged on a piece of hair in welcome, turning it around in his fingers gently, resting his wrist upon her shoulder to do so.

Melissa, the co-Pastor of the church, smiled at how fast they had come to the stage of communicating without words in some situations. She'd seen them argue softly about plans or about something small, coming to a decision together. One thing they were _very_ good at was fighting fairly. The woman had been wondering what kind of impact that Rebeckah would have on Tony, and she was pleased to see just how greatly influential she had been there.

"So what's the dual torture today?"

Influential, but not changing the man.

Pastor David chuckled. "Short-term goals. Tony, let's start with you. What are yours?"

He had been asked many of these questions before. "For my company, it's to further develop an alternative energy source, and to finish investigations into the recent problems and scandals that have been happening under my nose and yet off my radar." Drawing in another breath, he answered, "At home, my goals are to prepare the house to be as easy for Rebeckah to live in as it is easy for me to live there, and that means a lot of shopping and inventory, which we obviously have to do together."

"What about on a personal or educational level?"

Tony blinked once, then thought about it, allowing his arm to return to his side as he fiddled with his fingers. "I don't know about on the educational level, but personally, I want to keep improving and to rely less upon others for some things."

"Some things?" David pressed.

"Happiness, acceptance, and overall affirmation."

That got the pastor to blink, smile, and nod a few times. "Good thing to identify. Becka?"

"They all tie in together," she replied. "But it's to basically finish off my education and get my degree in counseling youth, move completely out to the West Coast after that so that plans for the marriage can continue. And to develop myself for the better through those problems that will inevitably arise."

"Wait. What?" Tony stared at the younger woman in shock. This was new.

But before she could reply, the phone rang. Rebeckah stood up the moment that her pastor picked it up. "Let's go early, Tony, talk about it over some McDonald's?"

Frowning, trying to figure out why she wanted to leave, he nodded anyway and they waved and left the office silently. Once they were down the hall and on their way out of the church building, Rebeckah spoke again. "That was an emergency call, and it takes precedence over premarital counseling."

Opening the door for his woman and letting her go through first, Tony bit the inside of his cheek thoughtfully before moving to walk beside her. "What did you mean about the education? Live close to the campus or close enough that we're close?"

Chuckling at his uncomfortable words, she murmured, "I can transfer all my credits to the new school, and I was already in the process of that when I went on the outreach trip."

"And when you met me."

Nodding, she looked up at the man she loved, hearing something deeper. "You don't like that goal."

"You won't be somewhere that I can protect you," he replied, pausing beside the car he had bought for driving around on the East Coast, watching how Rebeckah smiled and ran her hand over the spoiler of the Mustang, admiring it silently. He loved that she shared his appreciation for cars, and it still amused him that she was such a prototype for his world.

Smiling, looking at him and moving so that she leaned against the passenger door, she added to his statement, "And you want me closer to you."

"Yeah. That."

"I need a space between us, just that small bit, so that I can study effectively."

"You sure about that?"

"Mm, kinda. I can figure it out completely once I'm back over there."

"Wait. Wait, 'back over there'? So the college is over there?" Tony grinned and reached around to rest his hand against her jaw, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "'There' _is_ home in California, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Food?"

"Sure. Details over the food?"

Chuckling, Rebeckah reached up and rested her hand over his ARC reactor, feeling the gentle hum under his shirt. With a smile, she murmured, "Sure."

Tony rested his hand over hers, pressing it closer to his chest before pulling it up to kiss her fingertips and open the door for her to enter into the Mustang. Another thing he loved about his Becka: she wasn't afraid of what kept him alive.

And that helped to ease the pain.


	4. Closing Note

A Dim-Witted Form of Genius  
By Sinead

So, I lost all inspiration for this story a while back. I do feel bad about that. However, I have seen Iron Man 2, and I'm working on a storyline for a follow up. I'll have the first chapter up within the next two weeks!

Thank you for all your story watches, and thank you for keeping faith that this storyline would eventually be continued! I hope that I don't disappoint with the next story! The title is _When a Bright Idea Dims_. The prologue and first chapter will definitely be up shortly after I post this note.

I hope that you enjoy!


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